Music fans consume their favorite tunes in many different ways, but perhaps one of the most easy and innovative ways they listen to their favorite songs and artists is through Amazon's Alexa. That's why, for the first time ever, the iHeartRadio Music Awards presented the AI voice assistant with the iHeartRadio Game Changer Tech Award.

The iHeartRadio Game Changer Tech Award honors the most innovative use of technology that brings fans closer to the music they love. Presenting this inaugural award to Alexa was iHeartRadio's Bobby Bones and country music superstar Garth Brooks. And yes, Alexa gave an acceptance speech. She told Bobby and Garth:

"It feels electric. I couldn’t have done this without my fans, especially all you kitchen and bathroom fans out there. And a big shout out to Wi-Fi for always supporting me. Without it, I'd be speechless."

Radio has always been important in the home and is the number one way fans find and hear new music. It is the number one activity consumers ask smart speakers for, followed by streaming music services in the Top 4 most requested activities. It is how most Americans wake up and get ready in the morning. As clock radios disappear, smart speakers are filling that hole and adding other listening occasions when having breakfast, getting ready to go to work, doing work around the house, or other tasks where a companion like radio is welcome. Amazon Alexa is dominating that smart speaker space with more than 60 percent market share and more than 100 million device integrations.